Plastic has spread into every facet of our existence. Plastic has been detected at the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana Trench. It is also present at the highest peak on land, Mount Everest. Microplastics are found in Antarctic snow, clouds, turtles, whales, tap water, beer, and even in human blood. In 2022, the...
They’re in your bloodstream, lungs, and brain. Yes, your brain. Microplastics have infiltrated our bodies in ways we’re just beginning to understand. Scientists have found these tiny fragments everywhere, from reproductive organs to heart tissue. Want to know what’s even more concerning? Most of us consume a credit card’s worth of plastic weekly without realizing...
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, have become a significant environmental and health concern in recent years. These particles are almost everywhere, found in almost every facet of our world: in oceans, soil, air, and even in the food and water we consume. The impact of microplastics on human health is...
Microplastics are found everywhere, from the food we consume to the air we breathe. However, its effect on human health is not entirely apparent yet. Although animal studies have suggested that there are potential harms, we are yet to learn how this affects us. Biochemist Matthew Campen and other researchers recently investigated how various inhaled...
Plastic is a huge concern for the environment. When consumer products and industrial waste break down, the environment becomes inundated with small pieces of plastic known as microplastics. For this reason, scientists are currently dedicating so much of their time to finding a solution to this ever-increasing issue. Thankfully, they have recently created a sponge-like...
This article was originally published on September 28, 2019, and has since been updated. I remember the first cup of hot tea I ever had. I was 17 and recovering from a misdiagnosis that left me unable to walk or feed myself. My mom had to go to work and so left me with my...
That “mountain fresh” scent from a warm basket of laundry is one of life’s small comforts. For decades, we’ve been told that fabric softeners and dryer sheets are the secret to soft, static-free clothes. However, beneath that floral fragrance lies a cocktail of chemicals that science suggests might be doing more harm than good, not...
As Mary Poppins once said, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. But what about a spoonful of plastic and chemicals? That’s what many people are unknowingly swallowing with their softgel medications and supplements. Most of us associate vitamins with health, safety, and self-care. Yet new research is revealing that the glossy coating...
What is the safest way to drink if you want to avoid microplastics? Surely, you should avoid plastic bottles and rather use glass bottles, right? Well, a study in France recently measured the levels of microplastics in various types of beverages sold in the country. Believe it or not, they found that all of the...
A rarely spoken about type of cancer is on the rise in younger generations. According to a new study, this rare cancer mainly affects those within the Gen X and Millennial generations. Compared to those born in the 1940s, the number of cases has tripled among Gen X’ers and quadrupled in Millennials. According to the...
Environmental conservation and well-being have been a hot topic for decades. Globally, policymakers and the public have been focusing their attention on environmental health due to widespread microplastic pollution. The climate crisis has also created a cause for alarm, demanding widespread attention. Public and scientific concern about water supplies is also an issue of considerable...
There are massive “islands” of plastic swirling around our oceans at the moment, the biggest of which is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Yet, researchers have now revealed that there are millions more tons of plastic in the ocean that cannot be seen with the naked eye. These nanoplastics are smaller than a micrometer and...
